Eighth-grader charged in February rape at Raytown Middle School

Authorities have charged a 16-year-old eighth-grader in the rape of a girl earlier this year inside Raytown Middle School. The alleged rape occurred in late February. Authorities took the 16-year-old into custody on Monday.

Authorities have charged a 16-year-old eighth-grader in the rape of a girl earlier this year inside Raytown Middle School.

The alleged rape occurred in late February. Authorities took the 16-year-old into custody on Monday.

On Tuesday, Jackson County juvenile authorities filed delinquency charges that included forcible sodomy and forcible rape. The boy is being detained in the Jackson County Juvenile Detention Center pending further hearings.

The girl told police that the attack occurred Feb. 27 at the middle school at 4900 Pittman Road.

The student who has been charged has not been in class since the incident was reported, said Cathy Allie, district spokeswoman.

“The Raytown School District continues to cooperate with authorities regarding the incident,” the district announced in a statement issued Tuesday afternoon.

The victim, a 13-year-old student, told police that she was walking to class when a boy started talking to her. He then began pulling her toward a room, according to police reports.

When she had tried to walk away, according to police reports, the boy grabbed her by the hair and pulled her into the room, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her.

Raytown Middle School officials sent a letter home to parents in early March, when word began circulating about the incident.

The incident was limited to the two students, Superintendent Allan Markley said at the time. Minors involved in such incidents, he had added, were protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a federal law that protects the privacy of student records.

The student has been suspended, but district officials had been waiting for criminal charges before proceeding with additional disciplinary action, Allie said. The student will still receive a hearing by district officials, she said.

A county hearing is scheduled Wednesday to determine whether the juvenile will continue to be held in detention. A hearing will be held later to determine whether the juvenile will be tried as an adult, officials said.